1992 Profile: Jim Leyritz

"Talk about overcoming a rough start. Last year Jim Leyritz did just that.
He came to the Yankees as a heralded rookie in 1990, making headlines as one of the 'Young Guns' of the future. That plan had a temporary setback last year when he was sent to Columbus after a slow start. Leyritz was unhappy with his demotion and set out to prove the organization was wrong. Demonstrating the grit and determination that major-leaguers are made of, the young Leyritz hit over .300 for the Clippers after the All-Star break and then hit over .300 in the playoffs to lead his team to the International League Championship. After his recall to New York he again hit over .300 and played errorless ball in the field.
Jim Leyritz is versatile; he can play third base, catcher and outfield, and he can hit for average and power. That's why the Yankees have such high regard for the 28-year-old who appears to be on his way back."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Leyritz spent time with both the Yankees and the Columbus Clippers in 1991. He started the season with the Yankees before being optioned to the Clippers on May 17.
He appeared in 11 April games, made three starts and hit .083 (1-for-12). He was the Opening Day catcher on April 8 at Detroit- his other two starts were at third base. Jim's only hit in April was a pinch single on April 10 at Detroit off Walt Terrell.
May was no better offensively. Leyritz started eight games, all at third, and hit .094 (3-for-32). All three hits came in back-to-back games, May 5-6 at Seattle.
With the Clippers Jim played in 79 games and hit .267 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs. Upon his recall to New York on September 16, he played in 10 games (9 starts) and improved his offensive numbers dramatically. He hit .303 (10-for-33) with four RBIs and in the field did not make an error.
Overall for the Yankees in 1991, Jim played in 32 games of which 20 were starts at catcher (3), third base (16) and DH (1). In his two stints he combined to .181 with four RBIs. With the Clippers, he played second base (1), third (21), shortstop (1) and caught (34). He hit .316  (6 HR, 21 RBI) after the break, .321 (9-for-28) in the playoffs and was tied for seventh in the Yankee organization in home runs (11). Jim spent a week on the disabled list (June 24-July 1) with a sore arm while at Columbus.
Jim signed a contract for the 1992 season.
A versatile player for the 1990 Yankees, Jim played third base, outfield and caught while hitting .257 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.
Jim started the season with the Clippers and had his contract purchased on June 8. At the time of his promotion he was hitting .280 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs over 59 games. With the Clippers he saw action at first base, second base, third base, in the outfield and at catcher.
He made an immediate impact, making his major league debut as a  pinch hitter on June 8 at Baltimore- he had a two-out 9th inning RBI single off Gregg Olson to tie the score at 4-4. Jim's first start came on June 10, also at Baltimore, going 2-for-3 with a double. His second pinch-hit at-bat came on June 13 against Boston, resulting in a single off Roger Clemens.
From June 18-27 Jim hit in nine straight games (.412, 14-for-34). On June 30 at Chicago, he went 3-for-5 with his first two major league home runs (off Melido Perez and Ken Patterson).
From June 19-July 2, Jim hit .400 (20-for-50) over a 13-game period, raising his average from .250 to .351. He hit .343 in June. At the break he was hitting .313 with two homers and eight RBIs.
Jim's batting average tailed off after the break as he hit .220 (13-for-59) through the rest of July. Included was a home run off Clay Parker of Detroit on the final day of the month. From July 12-August 27 he started 42 of the clubs 47 games at third base.
He hit .262 in August. He hit in five straight games from August 22-27 (8-for-21) before spraining his ankle running out a ground ball on August 27 at Baltimore. He did not start the next six games before starting on September 3. He started 24 games in August, all at third.
On September 6 against California, Leyritz was ejected after hitting an apparent first-inning two-run homer down the right-field line off Mark Langston. The ball was initially called fair by first base umpire Evans and then reversed by third base umpire Welke. Jim was ejected by home plate umpire Coble, with Mike Ferraro and Stump Merrill also getting thrown out. His fifth home run came on September 19 at Toronto, a three-run shot off Jim Acker.
After the break he hit .232, with three home runs and 17 RBIs. For the season, he started 85 games at third base (67), catcher (10), left field (7) and right field (1).
Jim made 13 errors in 1990 (3B-11, C-1, LF-1). His error in left field came on July 1 at Chicago, allowing the winning run to score in Andy Hawkins' no-hitter. The ERA of the Yankee pitching staff was 3.77 (74.0 IP, 31 ER) with Jim behind the plate. He threw out two of four base stealers and allowed four passed balls.
12 of his 25 RBIs came with two out. He hit .291 (30-for-103) against left-handed pitchers, .271 (23-for-85) in day games and .283 (13-for-46) on turf.
Jim was signed by the Yankee organization as a free agent by scout Bill Livesey on August 24, 1985. He began his pro career in 1986 with the Oneonta Yankees [short-season A New York-Penn League] and batted .363 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 23 games. Jim was promoted to Ft. Lauderdale where he batted .294 in 12 games with a double and a triple.
He spent the 1987 season at Ft. Lauderdale and batted .307 in 102 games with 22 doubles, six homers and 51 RBIs. He played in the Florida State League All-Star Game and led FSL catchers in assists (76), double plays (7) and passed balls (25). Jim spent the 1988 season at Albany where he batted .241 in 112 games with 18 doubles and 49 RBIs.
Jim spent the 1989 season with Albany (AA) of the Eastern League. He led the league in hitting (.315) and on-base percentage (.423), ranked second on the team in hits (118) and RBIs (66) and had 10 home runs and 18 doubles. Jim had a five-hit game and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team (as a utility man). He played 67 of his 114 games as a catcher. A versatile player, he played three positions from 1986-89 (C-268, OF-30, 3B-17).
He attended Middle Georgia Junior College and the University of Kentucky. He played one year of baseball at Kentucky and hit .327 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs for the Wildcats. At Middle Georgia, he hit .387 with 17 homers and just 10 strikeouts in 231 career at-bats. Jim played Connie Mack and Babe Ruth baseball in Cincinnati.
Jim is involved with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization and the Harlem Kids organization."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Bob Watson

R.I.P. Larry Gowell

1992 Profile: Melido Perez

"Melido joins his older brother Pascual following the deal that sent Steve Sax to the White Sox. Horrible as a starter, he went to middle relief and was a dominating force. He finished 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA and one save after posting a 1-4 record and 4.65 ERA in eight starts.
He has a devastating split-finger pitch and is especially tough when he's throwing his fastball for strikes. In 1990 he had a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Yankees stricken from the record books.
Born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, the Royals signed Perez as a free agent in July 1983."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

"Melido Perez brings to the Yankees all the qualities that can enhance a major league staff; he's young, and has the versatility to work as either a starter or reliever. The 26-year-old right-hander, acquired from the White Sox in a multi-player deal, [has] a competitive nature conducive to winning. Armed with an above-average fastball, a quality slider and a forkball for his out pitch, Melido is a key player in the Yankees' grand scheme.
'He has the arm and the stuff to do anything in baseball. He could get 20 wins or save 35 games if he ever finds his consistency,' says Sammy Ellis, the Chicago Cubs' pitching coach and former coach with the White Sox.
Last season Perez went 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA in 49 games. Yankee fans may well remember the younger Perez pitching a six-inning no-hitter at the Stadium in 1990 as a member of the White Sox. Let's hope we see it in Pinstripes."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Acquired by the Yankees in January 1992 along with pitchers Domingo Jean and Bob Wickman in exchange for second baseman Steve Sax plus cash, Melido joins his brother Pascual as the fifth set of brothers to play for the Yankees in the same season, and the second to pitch for the Yankees (Phil and Joe Niekro, 1985). The others were Matty and Felipe Alou (1973), Billy and Bobby Shantz (1960) and Homer and Tommy Thompson (1912).
Melido had an outstanding season in 1991 in his fourth full year in the majors. He began the season as a starter making eight starts and posting a 1-4 record with a 4.82 ERA. He was converted to a reliever, making his first career bullpen appearance on May 29 against California, after he had started 109 straight games.
He recorded a team best 20.1 consecutive innings scoreless streak from May 29-June 20. On June 15, he hurled the club's longest relief outing of the season against  Kansas City when he pitched 7.2 scoreless innings. He recorded his first career save on September 6 at Texas (4.0 IP, 1 ER) in an 11-6 victory.
As a reliever Melido was 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 89 relief innings and tied for the club lead for wins by a reliever. He pitched at least 3.0 innings in 12 of his 41 relief appearances. He was 4-1 in one-run decisions and also 4-1 in extra-inning contests.
Melido excelled on the road, posting a 6-4 record with a 2.70 ERA. Left-handed hitters batted only .202 (45-for-223) against him, while right-handed hitters hit .243 (66-for-272).
He signed a one-year contract on February 10, 1992, avoiding arbitration.
In 1990 Perez set career highs in virtually every career category while going 13-14. He led the White Sox and was second in the American League with 35 starts and his three shutouts tied for third in the league. The starts were a career best as were his 161 strikeouts (2nd on the club), and his 197 innings pitched tied for his most in one season. Opponents batted only .241 against Perez, second best among Sox starters.
He became the 16th man in White Sox history to toss a no-hitter, a rain-shortened effort on July 12 at Yankee Stadium. He struck out nine and walked four. Pascual and Melido became the second set of brothers to pitch no-hitters, the other being Ken Forsch (1979) and Bob Forsch (1978 & 1983). It was the first no-hitter for Chicago since the one hurled by Joe Cowley on September 19, 1986.
Melido's two other shutouts came on June 6 against Seattle and on September 17 against Oakland. He struck out a season high 10 batters on May 1 against Texas and on August 27 against Chicago.
Melido was signed by the Kansas City Royals as a free agent on July 22, 1983. His first professional season was spent at Charleston of the South Atlantic League in 1984 where he was 5-7 in 15 starts (16 G).
He spent the entire 1985 season with Eugene of the Northwest League compiling a 6-7 mark. He led the league in innings pitched (101.0) and was fourth in the league with 88 strikeouts. With Class-A Burlington in 1986, Perez posted a 10-12 record and a 3.70 ERA. He struck out a team leading 153 batters in 170.1 innings and led the Midwest League with 13 complete games (23 GS).
Perez started the 1987 season at Fort Meyers where he posted a 4-3 record and a 2.38 ERA. He was promoted to Memphis where he continued his success going 8-5 with a 3.53 ERA. Perez combined to strike out 177 while walking just 27 in 198.0 innings pitched.
He was called up to Kansas City when rosters expanded on September 1. He made his major league debut on September 4 at Chicago, earning the win (7.0 IP, 0 ER) in a 6-2 KC victory. He made three starts overall and was 1-1. He was acquired by the White Sox from the Royals in December 1987 along with pitchers John Davis, Chuck Mount and Greg Hibbard in exchange for pitcher Floyd Bannister and infielder Dave Cochrane.
In 1988 Melido established himself as a quality major league pitcher in his first full season in the bigs. He finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting on the strength of a 10-8 record and 3.79 ERA. Melido was the first  ChiSox rookie to win 10 or more games since Britt Burns and Richard Dotson in 1980. His 32 starts, 197.0 innings and 138 strikeouts led the club.
His first career complete game came on May 13 against Toronto in a 4-1 Chicago win. Melido was perfect in July, posting a 4-0 record and 3.86 ERA. He saved his best for last, blanking his former Royal teammates on October 1 at Kansas City, allowing two hits and striking 10 in a 3-0 White Sox victory.
Melido attended San Gregorio de Nigua High School in the Dominican Republic."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Matt Keough

1992 Profile: Don Mattingly

"Failed to reach double figures in home runs for the second straight year. Inoperable disc problems have forced a more upright stance at the expense of power. Mattingly has fallen short of 100 RBIs three of the last four years after running off four straight seasons of 110 or more. He remains a Gold Glove first baseman.
Mattingly was named the 10th captain in Yankee history before last season. He had a run-in with the front office when he was benched on August 15 for refusing to cut his collar-length hair.
He secured a batting title in his first full major league season with a .343 mark in 1984. He outdid that in 1985 by gaining American League MVP honors with 145 RBIs, the most by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio's 155 in 1948. Mattingly established club records with 238 hits and 53 doubles, and in 1987 tied a major league mark with six grand slams and tied another standard by homering in eight consecutive games.
Mattingly was born in Evansville, Indiana. He was selected in the 19th round of the 1979 draft."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

"Since the middle of the 1983 season, there has been only one player the Yankees have been able to count on 100 percent- first baseman Don Mattingly. At age 31, seven years removed from his staggering MVP season of 1985, Number 23 is still the individual the Yankees look to as their beacon.
A year ago he emphatically demonstrated he was capable of remaining in the lineup every day. He set a Yankee record by winning his sixth Gold Glove as he played in 152 games, batting .288 with 68 RBI and 35 doubles. Those numbers aren't Mattingly-like, but the fact that he stayed healthy leads to Yankees to believe his major hurdle has been passed. Now it's time to drill the baseball like the Mattingly of the 1980s. This lifetime .314 hitter, surrounded in the lineup by names like Tartabull, Hall and Kelly, wants to produce as if it were 1983 all over again.
Mattingly may never match his statistics of glorious seasons past, but he is sure to play a major role in the Yankees' 1992 offensive machine.
'I'm going to try to create more power with my swing,' Mattingly says. 'I know I can turn on the ball still. It's a matter of getting that stroke back.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"After a down year in 1990, the team's captain in 1991 began to regain some of the form that labeled him as one of baseball's best players. Mattingly finished with a .288 batting average with nine home runs and 68 RBIs. He was appointed team captain on March 28, becoming the tenth player ever to captain the Yankees.
As is his custom,  Mattingly started slowly in April, hitting .265 with a home run and four RBIs. He did reach base safely in 17 of 18 games. He started the season by hitting safely in the first seven games (10-for-31). He started 13 games at first base.
Don went 1-for3 on his birthday (April 20), and over seven birthdays with the Yankees has hit .370 (10-for-27) with two homers and seven RBIs. His first home run was on April 23 off Frank Tanana of Detroit; the homer snapped a string of 312 homerless at-bats.
Don hit for a better average in May, batting .311 with two homers and 13 RBIs, playing in 24 of 27 games. He finished the month by hitting safely in his last nine games (12-for-34), raising his average 17 points to .291.
After injuring his knee on May 16, Don was pinch-hit for by Jim Leyritz, the first time he had been pinch-hit for since October 1, 1987 (Orestes Destrade). He hit a home run on May 25 at Baltimore, his first road clout of the year.
He hurt himself twice in May. In the May 16  game against California, he bruised his left knee breaking up a double play. He was immediately removed from the game, yet did not miss any games, pinch-hitting the next day and starting on May 18. The second injury was on May 27 against Boston- Mattingly dislocated his right pinky sliding headfirst into second on a first-inning double. He missed the next six games after playing in each of the Yankees' first 41 games.
Mattingly caught fire in June, hitting .336 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. He reached base safely in all 24 games in the month and hit safely in 23 of them (13 multi-hit games), raising his batting average 18 points to .309. Don hit .471 (8-for-17) over the final four games to raise his average 11 points.
He hit in a team-best 16 straight games from June 18-July 3 for a .361 mark (26-for-72), raising his average from .288 to .311. Hitting .301 with six homers and 34 RBIs at the break, Don hit .265 with no homers and 10 RBIs for the month of July.
August saw Don hit .343 with 10 doubles, a home run and 17 RBIs, his homer coming on August 5 at Detroit off Walt Terrell; it broke a string of 155 homerless at-bats. From August 13-23, he hit in nine straight games (13-for-36) and ended the month by getting six hits in his final 13 at-bats. His season batting average was .307 through August.
In an August 13 game against Kansas City (game 1), Don was called out on strikes and then ejected by home plate umpire Joe Brinkman for arguing, his only ejection of 1991. On August 15, Don was benched for refusing to get his hair cut.
Mattingly's batting average and production tailed off through September/October as he hit .218 (27-for-124) with two homers and 11 RBIs in 34 games. From September 6-10, he had a string of 16 at-bats without a hit, the second longest of his career to an 0-for-19 skein in 1985. He hit .275 with three home runs and 34 RBIs after the break.
For the 1991 season, Mattingly hit .264 with five homers and 29 RBIs against left-handed pitching, 303 with four homers and 39 RBIs against right-handers; .305 with seven homers at home, .274 with two homers on the road; .290 (40-for-138) with runners in scoring position, 0-for-6 with six RBIs with the bases loaded, and in his career with the bases loaded he has hit .269 (25-for-93) with six grand slams. In 1991 Yankee wins, Mattingly hit .305 (79-for-259) with six home runs and 45 RBIs, and in New York losses hit .274 (90-for-328) with three home runs and 23 RBIs. Over the past three seasons he has hit 82 points higher in Yankee wins, batting .322 (234-for-705) with 22 home runs and 137 RBIs in New York victories and .250 (227-for-907) with 15 homers and 86 RBIs in losses.
Last year he ranked 10th in the American League in intentional bases on balls (11) and eighth in the hardest-to-strikeout category, fanning once every 15.4 plate appearances. He had no sacrifice bunts in '91 with his last coming on June 18, 1986 against Boston, with 3,489 plate appearances since then. He started 146 games (1B-124, DH-22), the second most starts on the club after Steve Sax.
Mattingly has a .314 average over the last ten seasons, fourth in the majors behind Wade Boggs (.345), Tony Gwynn (.328) and Kirby Puckett (.320). His .300 average over the last five years ranks tenth in the majors.
He hit seven Yankee Stadium home runs in 1991 and now has 109 for his career at the Stadium, ninth most in Yankee history. He became the 11th to reach 100 on May 15, 1990 when he launched one into the right-field seats off Roy Smith of Minnesota (career home no. 167). He became the first Yankee to reach the 100 milestone since Graig Nettles on July 15, 1982. The Bombers have had nine left-handed hitters, one right-handed hitter (DiMaggio) and one switch-hitter (Mantle) to hit 100 round-trippers at Yankee Stadium. Mattingly has had the following Stadium homer totals: 7 (1991), 4 (1990), 19 (1989), 11 (1988), 17 (1987), 17 (1986), 22 (1985), 12 (1984), 0 (1983).
Mattingly remained with baseball's fielding elite among first basemen in 1991, winning his sixth Gold Glove (1985, '86, '87, '88, '89, '91). He has earned more Gold Gloves than any Yankee in history (they were first awarded in 1957), passing Ron Guidry, Bobby Richardson and Dave Winfield, who each won five. His six ranks tied for fifth among all first basemen all-time, behind Wes Parker and Keith Hernandez (11), George Scott (8),  and Vic Power and Bill White (7).
He did not make his first error of '91 until the 50th game on June 14. He ranked third among American League first basemen with a .996 fielding percentage and led the majors in double plays (135). Don's fielding percentage was one one-thousandth of a point from tying New York's club record (.997) held by Joe Pepitone (1965) and Chris Chambliss (1978).
Don ranks high on many of the Yankee all-time lists: games played at first (1,139), third behind Lou Gehrig (2,137) and Wally Pipp (1,468); batting average (.314), fifth; at-bats (5,003), 19th; runs (719), 20th; doubles (323), eighth; home runs (178), 12th, and RBIs (827), 10th.
He signed a five-year contract on April 9, 1990. The contract extends through the 1995 season.
1990 was a tough season all around for the Yankee first baseman. He hit .256 with five home runs and 42 RBIs, playing in 102 games.
Mattingly had a hot spring training (.302) and continued his torrid hitting into April. He was hitting .385 after his first ten games and hit .313 for the month with two home runs and six RBIs. His batting average was 38 points higher than his lifetime April average of .275 entering 1990, and his two home runs were the most he had ever hit in the month of April (4 total entering '90).
On May 20, Don hit his fifth and final homer of the season off Jeff Montgomery of Kansas City and from May 20-23 was struck out in four straight games for the first time in his career. His season batting average on May 21 (game no. 35) was .301, the final time he would be above .300 in 1990. His season batting average dropped to .285 by the end of May. For the month, Don hit .269 with three homers and 18 RBIs.
Don had a rough June, hitting .216 with nine RBIs to end the month with a .257 average. He played on July 1 in Andy Hawkins' no-hitter then did not play again before the break because of recurring back spasms. He missed seven games, next playing in the first game after the break. Don started the first 13 games after the break (7/12-24) before going on the disabled list until September 11. In those 13 games he hit .196 (10-for-51) with nine singles, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.
From May 22 through July 24, Don played in 51 games and hit .208 (43-for-207) with 36 singles, five doubles and 12 RBIs. He went on the disabled list on July 25 with lower back pains. He was examined on August 6 by Dr. Robert Watkins, who put Don on a prescribed exercise program in Los Angeles under his supervision.
Mattingly was activated from the DL on September 11 after missing 47 games. He made his first appearance on September 14 in Detroit as a pinch hitter and doubled off Mike Henneman. After his activation from the DL, he played in 16 games and hit .333 (17-for-51) with three doubles and seven RBIs.
He had a string of six straight .300+ seasons broken. He played in 102 games, his fewest since 1983, and his home run and RBI totals were also his lowest since '83. His batting average (.256) was 67 points lower than his career average (.323) entering 1990.
Don missed 54 games due to injury (DL-47, back spasms-7) and the Yankees had a record of 25-29 in those games. He started 98 games (1B-89, DH-9). Despite getting only 394 at-bats, he drew a club best 13 intentional bases on balls (4th in AL). Don was 1-for-7 with two RBIs with the bases loaded.
In 1979 Don was selected by the Yankees in the 19th round of the June draft. He was drafted late as teams expected him to accept a college scholarship. He was signed by Yankee scouts Jax Robertson and Gust Poulos.
He was named South Atlantic League MVP in 1980. In 1981, Mattingly was named Yankee Minor League Player of the Year, led the Southern League in doubles and was named to the Topps and Southern League [Class AA] All-Star teams as an outfielder. He was named an International League All-Star as an outfielder in 1982 and his outstanding season earned him a promotion to the Yankees in September.
Don had a terrific rookie season in 1983. He won the James P. Dawson Award as the top Yankee rookie in spring training and was in the starting lineup for the Yankee home opener. Optioned to Columbus on April 14, he hit eight home runs with 37 RBIs and a .340 batting average with the Clippers before his recall on June 20 when Bobby Murcer retired. Don hit his first major league homer off John Tudor on June 24 at Fenway Park. He hit in 24 of 25 games, July 13- August 11, going hitless (0-for-2) in both ends of the 'Pine Tar Game' (July 24 and August 18). He played one-third of an inning at second base in the August 18 conclusion of that game. He played first base on July 4th when Dave Righetti no-hit the Red Sox.
In 1984, Mattingly became the first Yankee to win the American League batting championship since Mickey Mantle in 1956, battling teammate Dave Winfield to the last day of the season, winning .343 to .340. He was named to his first AL All-Star team in his first full season in the majors. He led the AL with 207 hits, 44 doubles and 59 multiple-hit games, was second with a .537 slugging percentage and was the first Yankee left-handed batter to hit .340 since Lou Gehrig hit .351 in 1937. Don was the top road hitter in the AL at .364 and led AL first basemen with a .996 fielding percentage, making only five errors in 1,236 total chances.

In a phenomenal 1985 season, displaying prowess with bat and glove, Mattingly led the majors with 145 RBIs, 48 doubles and 15 sacrifice flies and led the American League with 370 total bases, 21 game winning RBIs and 86 extra-base hits. He was second in the AL with 211 hits, a .567 slugging percentage and 66 multiple-hit games, third with a .324 batting average, fourth with 35 home runs and tied for sixth with 107 runs. He also led AL first basemen with a .995 fielding percentage.
Don suffered a minor tear of the medial meniscus cartilage in his right knee in February while working out with weights at his Evansville, Indiana home. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage on February 22 and his rehabilitation caused him to miss the first 18 spring training games. Upon his return, Don homered in his first at-bat on March 26.
He didn't hit his first [regular season] home run until May 5, off Kansas City's Bud Black. The only two games Mattingly missed during the season came on May 26-27 at Oakland when he was suffering from a groin pull. He committed his first error on July 7 against Minnesota, breaking a streak of 153 games (1,371 total chances), dating back to June 22, 1984, of not committing an error at first base. He had the first two-homer game of his career on August 2 (both homers hit off Chicago's Britt Burns).
His 145 RBIs were the most by a Yankee since DiMaggio had 155 in 1948, and he was the first Yankee to lead the AL in RBIs since Roger Maris in 1961; he reached the 100 RBI plateau on August 20- the earliest by a Yankee since Maris and Mantle recorded their 100th on August 4 and August 6, respectively, in 1961. His 211 hits were the most by a Yankee since Red Rolfe's 213 in 1939 and Mattingly was the first Yankee to collect 200+ hits in consecutive seasons since DiMaggio in 1936-37.
He was the first AL player to lead the majors in doubles in consecutive seasons since Tris Speaker in 1920-23 and was the first player to lead the AL in doubles in consecutive seasons since Tony Oliva in 1969-70. His 48 doubles is the third highest single-season total in Yankee history, and his 652 at-bats is the eighth highest total in Yankee history.
Don was the first Yankee to have 600+ at-bats in consecutive seasons since Chris Chambliss in 1976-78. Don's 159 games led the team and is the second highest total by a Yankee at first base (he played 160 in '86).
Don drove in Rickey Henderson with 56 of his 145 RBIs. He was the first player to lead the majors in RBIs and strike out as few as 41 times since Ted Kluszewski led the bigs with 141 RBIs in 1954 while striking out 35 times.
He underwent minor surgery on November 12 to correct a catch in the extensor tendon of his right hand's little finger- little to no rehabilitation was required.
The 1985 American League MVP, who would be runner-up in the MVP voting behind Roger Clemens a year later, had another remarkable season in 1986, supporting a mid-season New York Times poll of 417 major league players that named Mattingly the best player in the game.
He led the majors with 238 hits, a .573 slugging percentage, 388 total bases (leading the majors for the second consecutive year), 86 extra-base hits (also leading the majors for the second consecutive year) and 53 doubles (leading the majors for the third consecutive year- the first player to lead the American League or the major leagues three straight years since Tris Speaker from 1920-23).
He was slowed in spring training of 1986 by a bone bruise of the left thumb, playing only 16 of 28 exhibition games, hitting .300 with six RBIs. Don recorded his 500th career hit with his first hit on Opening Day on April 8 against Kansas City. He did not hit his first home run until his 81st at-bat on April 30 against Minnesota off Bert Blyleven. Don tied the major league record with three sacrifice flies on May 3 against Texas.
He went into the final series of the season trailing Boston's Wade Boggs .357 to .350 in the American League batting race. While Boggs sat out the four-game set with a sore right hamstring, Don went 8-for-19 (.421 BA) with five runs, two doubles, two homers and four RBIs. Given the number of at-bats for Mattingly in that series (19), he would have needed 12 hits to overtake Boggs (the averages would have been .3574 for Mattingly and .3568 for Boggs).
His 238 hits broke the former Yankee record of 231 set in 1927 by Earle Combs; his 232nd hit, which broke the record, came in the seventh inning on October 2 at Fenway Park off Sammy Stewart. His 388 total bases were the most by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio posted 418 in 1937 and the most in the AL since Jim Rice's 406 in 1978, and equaled the fourth highest total in the majors since 1939; Mattingly became the 10th player to lead the majors in total bases two consecutive years, the first since Mike Schmidt in 1980-81, and the only Yankee besides Babe Ruth in 1923-24. His 53 doubles broke the Yankee mark of 52 set in 1927 by Lou Gehrig; his 53rd came in the fourth inning of New York's final game on October 5 at Fenway off Jeff Sellers.
His final batting average of .352 was second in the majors, his 117 runs was third in the majors and third in the AL, his 15 game-winning RBI tied for third in the majors and tied for first in the AL, his 113 RBIs was fifth in the majors and third in the AL, his .394 on-base percentage was seventh in the majors and fifth in the AL, and his 31 home runs tied for seventh in the majors and tied for sixth in the AL.
Mattingly was the first Yankee to hit .350 or better since Mickey Mantle hit .365 in 1957, and the first Yankee left-handed hitter to hit .350 or better since Lou Gehrig hit .351 in 1937. His .352 average was the highest by a Yankee left-handed hitter since Gehrig hit .354 and Bill Dickey hit .362 in 1936. Mattingly became only the eighth Yankee to ever hit at least .352, joining Babe Ruth (eight times), Gehrig (5), Joe DiMaggio (3), Mantle (2), Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri and Bill Dickey- all are Hall of Famers.
He became the 11th player in major league history, and the first in 27 years (Hank Aaron in 1959), to finish with at least 200 hits, a .350 BA, 30 homers and 100 RBIs- the others were Lou Gehrig (five times), Babe Ruth and Rogers Hornsby (three each), Chuck Klein, Jimmie Foxx and Stan Musial (twice each), Lefty O'Doul, Hack Wilson and Joe Medwick. He became the first AL player to record 230 hits, 100 RBIs and 30 homers (accomplished by six National Leaguers, most recently by Musial in 1948). Mattingly became the first player to lead the Yankees in average, hits, doubles and RBIs three straight years since Gehrig, 1932-34. His 53 doubles were the most in the majors since Hal McRae had 54 for Kansas City in 1977. He was the first Yankee to record 200+ hits three consecutive years since Lou Gehrig in 1930-32.

He hit .305 with runners in scoring position and his 79 multi-hit games led the club. 40 of the 113 runs driven in by Mattingly were scored by Rickey Henderson. Don had a career high 24-game hitting streak, the longest streak of Don's career, and the seventh longest hitting streak in Yankee history as well as being the longest in the AL in 1986. His final batting average of .352 was the highest point reached by Mattingly throughout the year. 0-for-12 was his longest 0-for of the season. His 677 at-bats in '86 is the fourth highest total in Yankee history, trailing only Horace Clarke's total of 686 in 1970, and Bobby Richardson's totals of 679 in 1964 and Yankee record of 692 in 1962.

Don became the fifth Yankee to play in 162 games in a single season, joining Richardson (1962), Roy White (1970 and 1973) and Chris Chambliss (1978). Through the end of '86 Don had played in 282 consecutive games (the final 120 of '85, 162 in '86). He missed just six innings of play in '86.

His .996 fielding percentage led AL first basemen for the third consecutive year and he's the only Yankee to ever lead the league in fielding percentage three straight years at any position. He led AL first basemen with 160 games and 1,483 total chances and won his second consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Don became the first left-handed third baseman since Mike Squires played 13 games at third for the White Sox in 1984, and the first such Yankee third baseman since Hal Chase played one game there in 1908.
Mattingly began his superb 1987 season slowly, hitting .175 on April 15 after nine games. He had his first career three-strikeout game on April 13 against Cleveland.
His batting average was as low as .239 on May 9, after 29 games. Don then went hit .398 from May 10 through June 4.
Before the June 4 game at Milwaukee, Don's back was injured when he was wrestled in the clubhouse by Bob Shirley. He tried to play, going 2-for-3 with an RBI before the pain became too severe to continue. His innings missed in that game were his first since August 7, 1986 (he missed only six innings all of '86), and that game was the last of a string of 335 consecutive games played (final 120 of 1985, 162 in '86 and the first 53 of '87), Don last sitting out on May 27, 1985. Tests later taken at NYU Medical Center revealed a disc problem in his back, forcing him to be placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 9. Activated from the disabled list on June 24, the Yankees were 11-7 during Mattingly's absence (June 5-23).
Upon his return on June 24, he hit in 18 of the next 22 games, batting .411 with 25 runs, eight doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBIs, raising his overall batting average to .342- his season high.
From July 8 to July 18 he hit at least one home run in eight straight games, tying the major league record previously set by Dale Long in 1956. During the same streak, Mattingly smashed the American League record of homering in six straight games, previously done six times (last by Reggie Jackson with Baltimore in 1976; also done by Lou Gehrig in 1931 and Roger Maris in 1961). Over the eight-game homer streak, Mattingly hit .459 (17-for-37) with 10 homers and 21 RBIs.
Mattingly had seven RBIs on July 16 at Texas, his single-game career high and the most by a Yankee in '87. He had at least one extra-base hit in ten consecutive games, July 7 through July 19, breaking the AL record of nine set by Babe Ruth in 1921. Don was twice named AL Player of the Week- for the weeks ending on July 12 and July 19, coming into the game of July 20 with a season high batting average of .342. He was also named AL Player of the Month for July, going 37-for-99 (.374) with 21 runs, 10 homers and 24 RBIs for the month.
On July 20 Don tied the major league record of 22 putouts by a first baseman in a nine-inning game, also held by Tommy Jones (May 11, 1906), Hal Chase (New York Highlanders, September 21, 1906) and Ernie Banks (May 9, 1963).
He missed the games of July 21-22 at Minnesota with a slightly sprained right wrist suffered on July 18 after hitting his record-tying homer. Upon completion of the eight consecutive game home run streak on July 18, Mattingly went without a homer from July 19 through August 7 (16 games).
Mattingly ended the season by hitting in 28 of his last 32 games, batting .331 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. Suffering from flu-like symptoms, Don was pinch-hit for by Orestes Destrade on October 1 against Boston, the first time he had been pinch-hit for since Vic Mata batted for him on August 3, 1984.
Don blasted six grand slams in 1987, setting a new major league record (No. 6 came September 29 at Yankee Stadium off Boston's Bruce Hurst) and breaking the record of five set by Ernie Banks in 1955 and tied by Jim Gentile in 1961. The Yankee record for grand slams in a season was four set by Lou Gehrig in 1934 and tied by Tommy Henrich in 1948.
With the bases loaded Don was 9-for-19 (.474 BA) in 21 plate appearances, and in addition to his six grand slams had two singles, a double, a pair of sacrifice flies and 33 RBIs. Prior to 1987, he was just 12-for-47 (.255 BA) with just one extra-base hit in career bases-loaded situations. In fact, prior to his first '87 grand slam, his career numbers with the bases loaded fell to 13-for-52 (.250) in 70 plate appearances with two extra-base hits, and beginning with the first grand slam he went 8-for-14 (.571 BA) with six homers and 29 RBIs.
In 1987 Don became the first player in the seven-year history of the Elias Sports Bureau's report for the MLBPA to compile a perfect 1.000 score, ranking first in each category used to measure the production of first basemen: plate appearances, batting average, on-base percentage, home runs and runs batted in. He was selected to his fourth consecutive AL All-Star team and was selected to the AP, UPI, and Sporting News All-Star and Silver Slugger teams, each for the third straight year. He also captured his third straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award for AL first basemen.
Don had his fourth straight 100+ RBI season and was the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle (1955-62) and Roger Maris (1960-62) to hit 30+ homers in three straight seasons. He became the first-ever Yankee to lead the club in batting average, hits, doubles and RBIs four consecutive seasons; breaking down the individual categories, the last Yankees to lead the club at least four straight seasons were: batting average- Mantle 1955-58; hits- Bobby Murcer 1971-74; doubles- none until Mattingly; RBI - Reggie Jackson- 1977-80. Prior to Mattingly, the last Yankee to have at least four straight 100+ RBI seasons was Joe DiMaggio, 1937-42. Ranked in the American League in 1987, Mattingly's 38 doubles were tied for third; his .327 batting average and 115 RBIs were fifth; his .559 slugging percentage was seventh, and his 186 hits were eighth.
Mattingly's .996 fielding percentage (five errors in 1,335 total chances) was best in the American League for the fourth straight year (1,000 or more total chances), tying the AL's first baseman's record for most consecutive years leading the league in fielding (100 or more games played) set by Charles Gandil from 1916 to 1919 (the major league record is five consecutive years set by the Ted Kluszewski from 1951 to 1955). He tied with Kent Hrbek for fewest errors (5) by a first baseman (1,000 or more total chances).
Mattingly began 1988 slowly with a tough first week, going 1-for-13 in his first four games. On April 30 against Texas he scored five runs in a game, which would tie Oakland's Luis Polonia for most runs in a game in 1988 and would also tie the Yankee single-game record (now done 12 times, having last been done by Bobby Murcer in 1972). Mattingly did not homer until May 10 against Chicago, his 32nd game, going 124 at-bats without a home run.
From May 8-25, he hit .429 with four home runs and 13 RBIs to bring his season average up to .320. On May 27 at Seattle, he suffered a strained muscle in his right side during batting practice, putting him on the 15-day disabled list on that date. From May 17- June 25, Mattingly hit safely in 17 straight games at a .352 pace. At the end of June, he was hitting .305 with five homers and 36 RBIs. From June 29 through August 9, Don hit safely in 33 of 35 games, going 54-for-152 (.355) with five homers and 25 RBIs, with 15 multi-hit games.
His third-inning single on July 3 at Chicago off Bill Long was his 1,000th career hit- Mattingly became the 33rd Yankee to reach that plateau. He was named American League Player of the Week, July 11-17, going 9-for-17 (.529) with five runs, a double, two homers, four RBIs, a .941 slugging percentage and a .529 on-base percentage [1.4700 OPS]. His batting average reached a season high of .334 on July 25. Don ended July at .329 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs.
At the end of August, Don was hitting .310 with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs. In September/October, he hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games (.352), raising his batting average from .305 to his final of .311.
He ended '88 with a .993 fielding percentage, fifth best in the AL (after finishing first the previous four seasons). His nine errors were a career high, yet he won his fourth consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove.
For the season Mattingly batted .296 with runners in scoring position and 37 of his 88 RBIs drove in Rickey Henderson. He went 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.
Named to his fifth straight American League All-Star team, Mattingly became only the eighth player in Yankee history, and the first in 30 years, to hit .300 or better in five consecutive seasons- he joined an elite Yankee group that includes Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Bob Meusel, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Mattingly was the first Yankee to lead the club in hits five straight years since Mantle (1955-59); the only other Yankee to accomplish this was Gehrig (1930-34).
His .327 road batting average was second in the AL behind Wade Boggs for players with at least 250 at-bats. Don's .311 batting average was eighth in the AL, his 94 runs 10th, his 37 doubles tied for 11th, his 17-game hitting streak tied for fourth and his 13 game-winning RBI tied for seventh.
He was ejected on May 6 at Texas for arguing a ninth-inning strikeout. On August 13 at Minnesota, he was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing a check-swing strikeout.
Don missed the first three games of 1989 (at Minnesota) with back spasms but did not miss another game the entire season. In April he hit .221 with six RBIs, compared to a .285 career April average entering 1989.
Through 32 games (May 14) Don was hitting .226 with 16 RBIs. On May 24 against California, he homered off Dan Petry, his first homer in 171 at-bats (his then-longest career homerless streak) dating back to September 29, 1988. In the month of May, Don hit .333 with three homers and 21 RBI, raising his average from .221 to .287.
June was Don's most productive month. On June 22, a 3-for-4 effort with two home runs against Chicago bolstered him over the .300 mark for the first time. For the month of June, he hit .339 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs, raising his average from .287 to .306.
He hit safely in 17 straight from June 16 (game 2)-July 4, batting .364 with four home runs and nine RBIs. From June 10-July 13, Don hit in 28 of 30 games (.369 average) while reaching base safely in all 30 games and raising his average from .280 to .313.
At the All-Star break, Don was hitting .313 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs. On July 19 at Chicago he was called out on strikes for the first time all year, in his 358th at-bat, the first of only two times in 1989. His homer on July 25 at Cleveland off Rich Yett was his first road home run in 218 at-bats dating back to September 29, 1988. For July, he hit .284 with three home runs and 18 RBIs
August was his worst month since April, with Mattingly hitting .268 with four home runs and 23 RBIs, dropping his season average to .293.
He hit for his highest average in September-October, .357, with six home runs and 22 RBIs. On September 12 at California, Don celebrated his 1,000th career game by going 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs (giving him 100 for the year) and putting his average over .300 to stay. He hit .291 after the All-Star break with four home runs and 57 RBIs.
Mattingly became only the sixth player in Yankee history, and the first since 1942, to hit .300 or better in six consecutive seasons- he joined an elite Yankee group that includes Earle Combs, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. He was named to his sixth straight All-Star team. He won his fifth straight Rawlings Gold Glove and his .995 fielding percentage ranked fifth among AL first baseman.
His four road home runs equaled a career low (1983), his .338 average against left-handed pitchers was his highest since 1986 (.358) and his .282 against right-handed pitchers was his lowest ever. He also set a career high with three stolen bases.
His 17-game hit streak (June 16-July 4) tied for the club best (with Steve Sax) and was his fifth career hitting streak of at least 17 games. Don was second on the club with 53 multi-hit games, and with runners in scoring position hit a team-leading .329 (56-for-165). He drove in a team-best 10 game-tying runs.
Of his 30 strikeouts, two were called (Greg Hibbard on July 19 at Chicago, Paul Mirabella on September 21 against Milwaukee). He was ejected on August 7 in the eighth inning after striking out, his first ejection since August 13, 1988. On August 25 against Baltimore, he struck out three times in one game for only the second time in his career (the other being April 13, 1987) and for the first time by one pitcher, Jeff Ballard.
In the American League he ranked hardest to fan per plate appearance (1 per 23.1 at-bats) and intentional walks (18), second in RBIs (119), fourth in total bases (301), fifth in extra-base hits (62), tied for fifth in sacrifice flies (10), sixth in doubles (37) and seventh in hits (191), at-bats (621) and slugging percentage (.477).

Don attended Evansville (IN) Memorial High where he played baseball, basketball and football. He played Little League, Babe Ruth and American Legion ball in Evansville. His older brother Randy played pro football.
Don enjoys racquetball and maintains homes in both Evansville and Tenafly, New Jersey. In August of 1987 he opened a restaurant in Evansville called 'MATTINGLY'S 23.' He and his wife Kim donate $100 for each home run to singer Paul Simon's project to purchase mobile medical units that will service underprivileged children in New York City."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

Led South Atlantic League in sacrifice flies (12), 1980.
Named South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player, 1980.
American League batting champion (.343), 1984.
Led American League first basemen in fielding percentage (at least 1,000 total chances), (.996), 1984.
The Sporting News American League Player of the Year, 1984.
The Sporting News American League All-Star Team, 1984.
American League Player of the Week, August 5-11, 1985.
American League Player of the Month, August 1985.
American League Player of the Month, September 1985.
Led American League in total bases (370), 1985.
Led American League in game-winning RBIs (21), 1985.
Led American League in sacrifice flies (15), 1985.
Led American League first basemen in fielding percentage (at least 1,000 total chances), (.995), 1985.
Tied for American League lead in double plays, first baseman (154), 1985.
American League Most Valuable Player, BBWAA, 1985.
The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, 1985.
The Sporting News American League Player of the Year, 1985.
The Sporting News American League All-Star Team, 1985.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger Team, 1985.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1985.
The Sporting News All-Fielding Team, 1985.
United Press International All-Star Team, 1985.
Tied major league record for most sacrifice flies, one game (3), May 3, 1986.
American League Player of the Month, September 1986.
Led American League in total bases (388), 1986.
Led American League in slugging percentage (.573), 1986.
Led American League first basemen in fielding percentage (at least 1,000 total chances), (.996), 1986.
Led American League first basemen in putouts, (1,377), 1986.
Led American League first basemen in total chances, (1,483), 1986.
Tied for American League lead in game-winning RBIs (15), 1986.
Established major league record for most at-bats without a stolen base, one season (677), 1986.
Established American League record for most at-bats, left-handed hitter, one season (677), 1986.
Established Yankee record for hits, one season (238), 1986.
Established Yankee record for doubles, one season (53), 1986.
The Sporting News American League Player of the Year, 1986.
The Sporting News American League All-Star Team, 1986.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger Team, 1986.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1986.
The Sporting News All-Fielding Team, 1986.
United Press International All-Star Team, 1986.
Tied major league record for most doubles, inning (2), April 11, 1987, seventh inning.
American League Player of the Week, July 6-12, 1987.
Established major league record for most home runs, seven consecutive games (homering each game) (9), July 8-17, 1987.
Established major league record for most home runs, eight consecutive games (homering each game) (10), July 8-18, 1987.
Tied major league record for most consecutive games hitting home runs (8), July 8-18, 1987.
Established American League record for most consecutive games, one or more extra-base hits (10), July 7-19, 1987.
American League Player of the Week, July 13-19, 1987.
Tied major league record for first basemen for most putouts, nine-inning game (22), July 22, 1987.
Tied major league record for most chances accepted, nine-inning game (22), July 22, 1987.
American League Player of the Month, July 1987.
Established major league record for most grand slams, one season (6), 1987.
Led American League first basemen in fielding percentage (at least 1,000 total chances), (.996), 1987.
The Sporting News American League All-Star Team, 1987.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger Team, 1987.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1987.
The Sporting News All-Fielding Team, 1987.
United Press International All-Star Team, 1987.
Tied American League record for first basemen for most consecutive years leading league in fielding percentage (4), 1984-87.
American League Player of the Week, July 11-17, 1988.
The Sporting News American League All-Star Team, 1988.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1988.
The Sporting News All-Fielding Team, 1988.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1989.
The Sporting News All-Fielding Team, 1989.
Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, First Base, 1991.

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Bob Oliver